>tiny fingers to solder SMT

You must be joking. The main thing to do about SMT is NOT to touch them
with fingers. That's what tweezers and vacuum pickups are for I think. The
other main thing is that a hot air tool (lacking an oven) beats all other
soldering methods and provides auto-alignment up to a point when done
right. SMT is wonderful. With through hole parts I have to clip pins and
make holes in the desk and bend chip pins until they all fit into the
holes and make holes in my hands with the sharp leftovers and plan
insertion 1 year ahead because otherwise there are things that can't be
inserted, and when I'm finished the desk looks like I've shaven some
steel-haired beast with clipped pins everywhere, including possibly under
the protoype or inside it. Yes I know about shears with retainers. Do you
know any that work 100% of the time ? I don't. Imho get used to SMT
because through hole is for machines only, and that is because the
machines are STILL around. Not for long though. SMT is state of the art
now. BGA and wafer on board (chip on board) will be very soon.

Peter

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